State's Quiz Bowl not really Quiz Bowl

Published: Saturday, January 1, 2005 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, January 1, 2005 at 12:00 a.m.

To The Editor: In response to a Dec. 20 letter criticizing the lack of coverage for the Quiz Bowl:

The reason Quiz Bowl isn't covered in this part of the state is that the State Library Quiz Bowl Competition isn't actually a Quiz Bowl competition.

Quiz Bowl in its purest form involves two aspects: knowledge and buzzer speed. True Quiz Bowl, which is duplicated on "It's Academic," the longest running quiz show of its kind, involves throwing out tossups which either team can buzz in on and attempt to answer. A correct answer earns a bonus question.

The State Library competition here in North Carolina is so antiquarian in its approach as to be tantamount to three-dribble girls basketball. In the N.C. system, questions are assigned to each team, rather than "tossed up," which doesn't allow teams an equal chance to respond. In addition, no bonus questions are awarded for correct answers.

Most specious of all, however, is that the State Library competition recycles questions each year, conferring an unfair advantage to a team assigned a question from a previous year's competition.

Please contact your local public library and demand a Quiz Bowl format which is truly fair and competitive.

<p>To The Editor: In response to a Dec. 20 letter criticizing the lack of coverage for the Quiz Bowl:</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>The reason Quiz Bowl isn't covered in this part of the state is that the State Library Quiz Bowl Competition isn't actually a Quiz Bowl competition.</p><p>Quiz Bowl in its purest form involves two aspects: knowledge and buzzer speed. True Quiz Bowl, which is duplicated on "It's Academic," the longest running quiz show of its kind, involves throwing out tossups which either team can buzz in on and attempt to answer. A correct answer earns a bonus question.</p><p>The State Library competition here in North Carolina is so antiquarian in its approach as to be tantamount to three-dribble girls basketball. In the N.C. system, questions are assigned to each team, rather than "tossed up," which doesn't allow teams an equal chance to respond. In addition, no bonus questions are awarded for correct answers.</p><p>Most specious of all, however, is that the State Library competition recycles questions each year, conferring an unfair advantage to a team assigned a question from a previous year's competition.</p><p>Please contact your local public library and demand a Quiz Bowl format which is truly fair and competitive.</p><p>Michael Boyd</p><p>Hendersonville</p>